The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-04-07
rALNAGE'S SERMON.
A Discourse to New Members at
the Brooklyn Tabernacle.
The Precious Memories Revived by Sacra-
mental Day--The Days When the
Righteous Shall Neither Hum
ger Nor Thirst More.


Rev. I. Dewitt Talmage delivered a
discourse ON recent Sabbath especially
addressed to new members of the church,
using the following texts to introduce his
theme: -.
And four thousand praised the Lord.-lL.
Chronicles, xiii,
This day shall be unto you for memorial
Exodus. xiii, a.
He said: When, week before last. the
commitment membership of this church
passed into the 40)0, now reaching 4 ,051,
the first part of my text came to my mind,
and / bethought myself what a grand
thing it would be if the 1000 of our COM
muuicant membership would, like the
1900 of the ancient temple, make it their
lifetime business to praise the Lord. Let
them all take harp and timDrel and an
them and doxology
The allusion of my second text is to the
Passover, which commemorated the de-
liverancesof the children of Is rael on the
night when. the destroying angel sped
through the land of Egypt, destroying the
enemy, but saving the IsraeIites, because
on the door-posts of their dwellings was
sprinkled the blood of lamb. To-day we
come to celebrate grander Passover, all
sight of the sprlnkled blood of the Lamb
of God on the door-posts of our hearts
Christ, our Passover, sacrificed for US.
This day shall be unto you for memorial
The Sacramento Sabbath, whether it
comes in an American church or an
English chapel, or Scotch kirk, is more
impressive than any other Sabbath. Its
light is holier, calmer, sweeter; it's voices
more tender; its touch is softer;
its memories are more chastened.
The fruits Of the Christian life suddenly
ripen, like orchards on the hill frontin
the South. The wine Of the Holy Sacra-
ment seems pressed from the grapes of
celestial vineyards, and the tread broken
seems to drop from the hand of him who
parted the loaves for the 5000 We walk
to the Church of God with more thought
full face and with quieter STEP The jubi-
liant songs of other Sundays are struck
through with penslveness, and are all
tremble with tears; and when, at the
close of the service, at the door we shake
hands, it is with more cordial grasp,
because we feel thrilling through our
body and mind and soul the great
doctrines Of Christian brother
hood; and our minds go back
to our forefathers celebrating
Scotland among the Highlands; commem-
Grating the dying love of Christ while
they were pursued of their enemies, pour
ing the wine into rough wooden cups, dip
ping the waters of baptism from the
mountain rock, until one day they heard
the voices of their enemies coming up the
hill, and the pastor cried out:
"Oh, Lord, the Shepherd, have mercy on
the sheepi,
And instantly there was roaring heard
as of great floods, and sure enough q
cloud had burst and there were great tor
rents running down the mountain side
that whelmed their foes with sudden
wrath. What deliverance it was for
them on that sacramentaI dayl Oh, that
on this sacramental day the cloud
OF Gods mercy might burst and our
sins be whelmed and our souls be saved.
This is the amethyst of days. This is the
pearl OF days. This is the diamond of
days. This is the day of days. Among
the ten Thousand million ages of eternity
the first Sabbath of March, 1887, will be to
you significant and memorable, for "this
day shall be unto you" forever and for
evers'a memorial
There is much in the scene of to-day To
impress US, because it is a time of rein
forcement. used to remark that if ever
lived to see our membership reach 1000 ]
thought would be willing to say with one
OF old:
Now, Lord, lettest thou thy servant depart
IN peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation
But have changed my mind, and never
SO much wanted to stay as now, so as to
see them all enlisted for God and to watch
their victories. What might they not &C
complish in the way of making the world
better II they were all baptized with a
portion OF the Holy Ghostl Four thou
sandl That is four full regiments, as
military men count thousand to regi.
ment. l think not one hypocrite amongst
them. Taken into the church sometimes
in large numbers, but each one as care
fully examined as to change of heart and
evidence of regenerati on as though he or
she were the only one presenting himself
or herself Many of our former members
nave passed away into the skies, and
have Joined the Church trump liant, but
we have 1900 and more left for the
church militant
To arms! Quityou like meni We want
no reserve corps among them. Go into
action all OF you. Some will be officers
and command. Some will make cavalry
charge. Some will be sharp-shooters
Some will stand guard. Some will be on
picket duty. Many OF you will belong to the
rank and file. Let there be no stragglers,
none off on furlough, not one deserter.
With Christ for commander-in- chief, and
the one-starred, blood-striped banner OF
manager and cross lead the way, give tn e
order that the General in the war gave
when rising in his strrups his hair fiyinp
in the wind, he cried out till all the hos 1
heard him:
Forward the whole hnep'
There is also something in such a scene
to deeply impress one, because it re-
hearses a death scene. Now, you know.
there is something very touching in such
an incident. Though you are in hotel
and it is stranger that is dying how
softly you move about the place; and il
you come up to his couch it is with uncoy.
cred head. Even the voice of the lester
is stopped, and when the eyes of that
stranger are closed it is with emotion
But I am to tell you, this morning. of
death such as has never before or since
occurred. When we die we die for our
selves, and the crisis is alleviated by all
benefcent ministries Bathings for the
hands, bathings for the head, bathings for
the feet. the Hohf n, ru oh dox.,,, loxr-